Magic in Weird War II
Belief in Magic abounded in WWII to the point nearly any GURPS magic system can be used in the setting.GURPS WWII 167 Astrology Astrology functioned as divination and was used for propaganda purposes even if the leaders themselves didn't believe in it. Mass Magic Modern propaganda can easily allow huge spells to be cast via ceremonial magic. As Leni Riefenstahl’s documentary Triumph of the Will makes plain, the Nazis organized their political rallies with a close attention to ritual and mass consciousness. Both the Nazis and the Soviet Union had huge rallies...which in a world where magic worked could be easily tapped as a power source. Armanic Rune Magic The runes the Nazis borrowed from the Norse were believed by many to have mystical power. For example, The Blutfahne (blood flag) supposedly had mystical properties due to the Swastika on it being "empowered" by the blood of one of the Nazis killed during the Beer Hall Putsch. It was used to imbued other flags by touching it to them during Nuremberg rallies. Spiritualist While its heyday had been in the 1920s there were still people who believed in it during WWII. For example, Gen. George S. Patton believed that he had been a solider in previous lives serving under commanders such as Xenophon, Alexander, Crassus, and Napoleon. Pendulum Magic This form of dowsing involved suspending a pendulum or dowsing rod over a map rather then going to the actual location. Vril Rosicrucian novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton in his 1871 The Coming Race described the Ana, dwellers within the hollow Earth who has mastered the “Vril force,” a kind of omnipresent cosmic energy similar to electricity, telepathy, and nuclear force put together. The Myths The Æsir Hitler expressly related the war, especially in its closing months, to the Norse myths of Ragnarok, the final struggle of gods and monsters, and the Germanic Götterdämmerung, the Twilight of the Gods. Other Nazis engaged in efforts to rekindle worship of the Æsir but the venture failed. Cargo Cults The "Cargo Cults" of the Melanesian islands of the southwestern Pacific would become fodder for Ancient Astronaut theories but if their belief manifested itself as reality it would totally change the dynamics of the War in the Pacific. Sacred Relics The Nazis searched the world for holy relics to assist them in winning war. Ark of the Covenant: The ability to achieve victory in battle supposedly made this a must have for the Nazis. The problem with this idea should be obvious to anyone who realized who made and used the Ark: the ancient Jewish people. Per Raiders of the Lost Ark it likely would not end well for the Nazis. Holy Grail: it is not exactly clear on just what powers the Nazis believed the Holy Grail had but it is clear they wanted to find it. Years later DC comics would use the Holy Grail and Spear of Destiny to explain why the JSA didn't simply go in and defeat the Axis powersEven by comic book logic this use of the Holy Grail makes no sense. Why would a Christian artifact even work in in a largely non Christian nation? Even if it somehow did why would it work against heroes who in all likelihood were Christian? Iron Crown of the Lombards: This jeweled, enameled crown has six golden plaques welded to an iron band around its interior. That iron band was forged from one of the True Nails of the Cross, given to King Agiluf of the Lombards in 590 by Pope Gregory the Great. Roland’s Horn: This horn, supposedly used by Roland (Charlemagne’s greatest knight) was alleged to produce storms, earthquakes, and darkness at noon when blown. Spear of Destiny: The spear that was used to pierce Christ on the cross. The spear supposedly granted invincibility on the battlefield to its owner. Things Man Was Not Meant to Deploy The new science of relativity not only spawned atomic research but the idea that the universe was no longer the clockwork reality Newton had come up with. This inspired Lovecraft's mythos of things that that could not be controlled and efforts to understand would simply drive one mad. Supplemental Works * GURPS Magic * GURPS Fantasy * GURPS Thaumatology References *GURPS WWII: Weird War II pg 50-59 Category:Content Category:Thaumatology Category:Setting Concepts